cool apps and open source tools to collect and display access services data
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COOL APPS AND OPEN SOURCE TOOLS
To Collect and Display Access Services Data
WHO WE ARE
• Sue Thompson, librarian• Coordinator for Access Services and
Evidence-based Practice• formally Coordinator for Library Systems
• Teri Roudenbush, staff• Access Services Lead • formally Head of Resource Sharing
WHO WE ARE• Cal State San Marcos -- one of 23 CSU campuses
• almost 25 years old• 10,000 students
• Library building • 200,000 sq. ft. with 40 group study rooms
OVERVIEW• Current data collection methods
• New data collection methods
• Evaluating student use of Study Spaces • Study Room Reservation System -- Open Source Tool• Study Space usage – Apps and Mobile Tools
• Tracking user requests at Service Desks• StatsTracker– Open Source Tool
• Central statistics portal• Google site -- Cloud-based Tool
THE CURRENT SITUATIONAccess Services Currently Collects Data ...
On Numerous Functions
From Various Sources
In Many Different Ways
DATA COLLECTED BY FUNCTION
Circulation • Checkout Statistics• Gate Count
Interlibrary Loan / Resource Sharing• ILL Statistics• Other Consortia
Borrowing/Lending Statistics
Media Library• ID’s Issued• Video On Demand Statistics
Reserves• Traditional Reserve Statistics• E-Reserve Statistics
Shelving• Returned material• In-house • New material• In-Stack Inquiries
SOURCES USED TO COLLECT DATA
Millennium Circulation Statistics3M Gate CountsILLiad ReportsRapidILL StatisticsInnReach Patron ReportsDocutek E-Reserves StatisticsVideo-On-Demand/MediaSite CI Badge
WAYS DATA IS COLLECTED
Utilizing Vendor Statistical Reports
Manually Counting
Utilizing Custom Designed Spreadsheets
WHY GATHER NEW KINDS OF DATA?
• Track library services that don’t have an easy or built-in data gathering tool
• Track the human angle of how people use our library
• Get a deeper understanding of what our standard quantitative data means
• Gather data that answers specific questions
• Take advantage of research methodologies, such as observation, sample counts, and surveys
NEW WAYS TO GATHER DATA
• Apps – ready to go applications downloaded from Web
• Open source tools – robust software solutions that may allow extensive customization
• Mobile devices – handheld devices that can be used anywhere in library
SPACE USAGE DATA
Why we need to collect data on space usage
• Other building occupants
• University competition for our space
• Changing student needs, ways of configuring space
STUDY ROOM BOOKINGLooked for various solutions to book study rooms, vendor products, open source
Vendor Products • SpringShares LibCal• Evanced D!bs
Open Source• phpScheduleit• MRBS
STUDY ROOM RESERVATION PILOT
Pilot with MRBS in Fall 2012• Included 9 rooms on 5th floor • Left 25 rooms on the 4th and 5th floors
for walk-in use
Added 3 of the 7 rooms on 2nd floor in Spring 2013
October 2013 record high reservations
STUDYING SPACE USAGE• Study room booking
includes report function
• 291 hours reserved week of Oct 7-11
• 585 possible hours
• 50% occupancy
AreaRoom Start time End time
Duration
Kellogg - Media Library
KEL 210702:30:00PM - Tuesday 08 October 2013
04:30:00PM - Tuesday 08 October 2013
2 hours
Kellogg - Media Library
KEL 210712:30:00PM - Wednesday 09 October 2013
03:00:00PM - Wednesday 09 October 2013
2.5 hours
Kellogg - Media Library
KEL 211009:00:00AM - Monday 07 October 2013
11:00:00AM - Monday 07 October 2013
2 hours
Kellogg - Media Library
KEL 211001:00:00PM - Monday 07 October 2013
04:00:00PM - Monday 07 October 2013
3 hours
Kellogg - Media Library
KEL 211009:00:00AM - Tuesday 08 October 2013
12:00:00PM - Tuesday 08 October 2013
3 hours
Kellogg - Media Library
KEL 211001:00:00PM - Tuesday 08 October 2013
03:00:00PM - Tuesday 08 October 2013
2 hours
STUDYING SPACE USAGE
• Developed a space usage study to address all sorts of questions:• What about usage of study rooms without booking?• What about use of other types of study space?• How do students use technology when studying?• What impact would new Student Union have on library usage?
• Observed space usage and study patterns• Sample weeks – mid semester, finals• Key times – 10am, noon, 3pm, 7pm• Included all study locations – rooms, carrels, tables and open seating
TOOLS TO STUDY SPACE USAGE
• Needed new kinds of technology to carry out observational research:• Mobile• Customizable• Support a variety of criteria
• Identified 3 promising technologies:• SUMA• Counter+• Cloud On with Excel
SUMA• Open source tool
• Pros• Full suite of tools including analysis• Easy ‘counter’ button• Can specify multiple characteristics
for each type of count
• Cons• Complicated to setup• Cumbersome when looking at
many areas
COUNTER+
• Apple iPad app
• Pro• 8 counters• Can customize labels• Can email results
• Con• Have to zero out counters to start next count• Limited functionality
CLOUD ON• Apple iPad app
Cloud On Dropbox Excel
• Pro• Access Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, ..)• Full function of desktop application• Saves to cloud drive (Dropbox, Box, ..)
• Con• Depends on reliable Internet connection• Desktop applications not optimized for
mobile uses
SPACE USAGE RESULTS
• Study room reservation stats showed 50% occupancy all hours
• Space usage observations showed 75% use of study rooms during all sample hours (10am, 12pm, 3pm, 7pm)
• 98% study room use during peak usage period
SERVICE DESK USAGE Primary purpose - to provide customer service
• Circulate materials
• Collect fines
• Answer questions of all types
Traditional tools are used to track our circulation statistics and fines
Needed a more efficient way to track questions
StatsTracker a highly customizable open source product was our solution
STATSTRACKER
• Open source tool• Requires local server and IT expertise• Highly customizable
• After reviewing original statistics gathered, decided wanted more detail for Media Library• Better description of the type of requests• Be able to analyze questions by categories• Identify who is asking the questions• Identify when we refer the question to other service points
HOW WE BRING IT ALL TOGETHER...
Jul-11 Aug-11 Sep-11 Oct-11 May-12 Jun-122011/201
2 Total 2010/2011 Total
SERVICE POINT HOURS OF OPERATION
Check Out Desk 223 231 339 344 292 232 3,394 3,442
Media Library 208 228 269 297 258 217 2,996 3,055
Total Operating Hours 431 459 608 641 550 449 6,390 6,497
LIBRARY GATE COUNT
2nd Floor 8,003 12,542 22,218 23,346 14,649 8,042 192,730 209,660
3rd Floor 7,943 18,427 25,045 54,449 23,714 4,571 364,287 413,489
Total Gate Count 15,946 30,969 47,263 77,795 38,363 12,613 557,017 623,149
ACCESS SERVICES CIRCULATION ACTIVITY
Books 930 1,207 2,022 2,655 1,605 781 22,536 24,944
Periodicals 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Media General 168 195 340 294 139 108 2,636 4,592
CENTRAL STATS PORTAL
• Important for evidence-based decision-making to have ready access to data
• Want to make statistical data easily findable and usable by anyone
• Google Sites provides an easy to use environment
GOOGLE SITE• Cloud-based tool
• Can select from templates or build yourself
• Highly customizable
• Can link to Google Docs, which enables automatic updating
THANK YOU
• Sue Thompson, sthompsn@csusm.edu
• Teri Roudenbush, troudenb@csusm.edu
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